Homogenizer



Dec. 2, 1941. E 2,264,805

HOMOGENIZER Fil ed Sept. 14, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor AlzrneysDec. 2, 1941. R. G L E 2,264,805

HOMOGENIZER Filed Sept. 14, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m Inventor A 3mg:

Patented oeez, 194 u H 2,264,805

2,254,805 HOMOGENIZER Reginald Gretton Lowe, Whitchurch, Cardifi,

England, assignor to The Brush Electrical Engineering Company Limited,Loughborough, Leicestershire, England 7 Application September 14, 1938,Serial No. 229,976 In Great Britain September 14, 1937 10 Claims. 01.252-359) This invention comprisesimprovements in or may be screwed uptightly on a screw-threaded relating to homogenizers and refers to thattype end portion I61) of the seating member so as to of homogenizingvalve or crusher head comprisbear up against the end face of that partIla of ing co-operating elements presenting surfaces in the bossprojecting into the cylindrical fluid-reclose engagement or proximityone to the other, ceiving chamber.

* UHTED sr TENT OFFICE between which surfaces the fluid or mixture to beFrom that side of the boss which accommodates treated is forced at highpressure. An object of the enlarged and tapered end I 6a of the valvethis invention is to provide an improved hogoseating member [6 projectsa perforated, hollow genizing valve or crusher head of this kind.Acconical or funnel-shaped portion llc integral cording to thisinvention a homogenizing valve 10 with said boss, said funnel Hc havinga comor crusher head of the kind referred to has a paratively thinwallan-d the inner face thereof socket or surround which encircles oneof the being tapered to correspond to and form a conoperating elementsand positions it in relation tinuation of the internal taper of the bossI lb to the other one. Advantageously the first said accommodating theseating. Within this funnel element is of conical formation and thesocket is closely fitted with a fluid tight fit an axially or surroundin which it is received is conical also. -movable valve member having atapered pe- In order that the invention may be better ripheral face tofit the funnel, said valve memunderstood, reference will now be made tothe her having a hardened flat end face 2| to bear accompanyingdrawings, in which the three figagainst and CO- per te With he pposedface I! ures show, in section, various constructions of 20 of theseating lfia the face of the movable valve valve or crusher headaccording to this invenmember 20 advantageously having a central reti ncess of a diameter corresponding to that of the Referring first to Fig.1, that part of the apbore of the seating. This construction reparatusinto which the fluid to be treated is sults in the co-operatingsurfaces, It, 2|, being pumped at high pressure comprises an elongatedmaintained in accurate parallelism. cylindrical chamber l0 having asuitable safety The movable valve member 20 is loaded by a or reliefvalve (not shown). At one end of this compression rod 22 extendingaxially therefrom, cylindrical chamber is fixed a flanged member saidrod having a close sliding fit within the ll with a central hollow bossprojecting from housing M of the apparatus and being forced each side.The boss portion Ha projecting from axially towards the valve so as topress same one side, which may be of somewhat smaller ditightly'on toits seating by manually operable ameter than the oppositely directedboss portion screw mechanism of any suitable character, such llb, fitsclosely into an enlarged end of the cyfor example as the differentialscrew mechanism lindrical fluid chamber [0, there being suitable shown ith drawings which may comprise pack I 2 tw n a shoulder on d boss d 3;member 23 having internal and external screw a eelf p d 'shoulder on theWall of the CS" threads so formed as to act in opposition to'each lindcal C a e The pp t y dllected Q other and have different pitches. A handlever portion llb 0n the flange prolects Short 0118- or the like may befitted on the squared end 23d tance into and fits closely in a tubularliner or for effe ting the required adjustment. There is sleeve Itwithin the housing [4 of the apparatus, also a packing 25 in the housingM screwed up there being an outlet I15 1 through said liner and by agland nut 21 A key and Slot or equivalent egi fif f g fgggg g i axiallyWithin means 24 retains the rod 22 from rotation, while permitting axialmovement or adjustment. the aforesa1d boss is a valve seatm member l5 oftubular formation i e a centrally bored mem- Advantageously the Valveloadmg rod 22 15 reof enlarged diameter leasably connected to themovable valve member g i 1 figig Valve face and being 20. For instance asubstantially flat head 22a avmg (which may have a part-spherical endface) at externally coned or tapered, the bore of the aforesaid boss llbbeing enlarged internally and the end of the m be 511d laterally mto mhaving a tapered or flared mouth to provide a have a close fit within anundercut recess 20a. in close fit for the tapered seating memben thevalve. This enables the valve to be removed able packing i8 is alsoadvantageously provided and renewed mtel'changed as deslred- At thearound the seating member I6 within the boss. back of the headed d of te rod 18 a neck 22b Therseating member is fix d in position by anyhaving a diameter smaller than that of the resuitable means. Forexample, a sleeve nut I9 5 m 0f e dh reduced ne k. constimember L20 iscylindrical also. II is integral with the member I I I-in which the.valve member I L6 is received, and-it is perforated, .at a levelcoincident with :the gap between the tutes the axially compressibleportion of the valve loading rod.

By adjustment of the screw mechanism 23 the faces I1, 2 I, are set inexceedingly close proximity. The fluid or mixture to be treated ispumped under high pressure into the chamber I0 and emerges from betweensaid faces I'I, .2I. A high loading is thereby exerted on the member 20,and it may be that the resultant compression of the compression neck 22band compressive deformation of the contacting surfaces of the head 320aand the valve member 20, produces or increases the minute gap betweensaid *faces I-'I,"2-I. The fluid egressing from the homogenizinggap'passes out through the aforesaid holes in the funnelshaped valvehousing I Ic, and if desired either or both of the tapered valve membersiI1i,:2lJ,1in=said funnel may be externally fluted or'becircumferentially recessed to provide a small 'cavity immediatelybeneath the erforations in'the funnel.

.Provision .may also .be made for variably sadjusting the effective:size :.of :the perforations .in

the funnel such as byproviding aztruncated conical ring or cowl .closelyencircling itheLfunnel and having a series of holes therein,-:the:rotaryJadjustment of the .ring covering '01 uncoveringzthe perforations in.the funnel .to any reguiredrdegree.

The perforated housing accommodating ihe movable valve member is soconstructed ;,or .providedas-to bein a state of tension when'thezsaidmovable valve is fitted therein, and the .degree -of tension can beadjustably determined bylilifferent sectionsorthicknesses .of metaland/or by different types of metal to suit different .conditions ofworking and/or types 'of :fluid vbeing treated. If desired, the :housing:may be of :re-

duced thickness at that half'orpartthat isinot perforated, i.

e. the ;.part of larger diameter, therebyequalizing. as far as possible:the strength of the "metal -of the funnel.

The tension -on the .part I I0 Varies with the load on the member 22;:proportionately to "the pressure .at which homogenization takes place.Consequently, as the partr is.forced:fur.ther into said part He, thusincreasing the pressure, there is greater need for accurate registrationto prevent flutter atthe valve'face. .Thisris met by the fact that asthe'tapered part-I Icis -placed under greater tension, the-movingvalveg-facesis more .accurately located.

In the-construction shown in.- Fig. .2 both=of the valve members H6 andI20 are of cylindrical .form. Therefore the seating or .surround IIIcwhich surrounds .and positions themovable valve .This surroundhomogenizing faces I2! and III, with apertures. Surrounding the saidseating or surround -I I.Ic

.there is a sleeve 130 likewise pierced with apertures .I'3-Icorresponding to the apertures L32 in the surround IIIc. Ihissleeve.I;30 isconnected to the valve .member I20 .and is therefore not-capableof .any appreciable axial movement in .relation to the surroundII.Ic (because the endwisemovementimparted tosaidmember I20 isnegligible) Conveniently, however, the .said sleeve I30 is capable ofrotational adjustment.

Forthis purposeit may be provided with an ,in-

turned flange I3'0a-received between the ,top.e.dge of the surroundII'Ic and .a-flange I 2011 on .said valve member. Desirably suitable,packing'indicatedat I33 is interposed'between.the faces of member H6and the flanged member III receiv ing it; likewise the packing I8 ofFig. 1 may be a gas-filled ring.

The sleeve .may be adjusted rotationally 'to bring the apertures I3I,I32 into and out of register to diminish or increase the area availableior the outward passage of the material to 'be'treated. Thus theapparatus may be arranged to .providezbetween the surround or socketIIIc and thesleeve I30, a second homogenizing stage,

If desired the ground and hardened homogenizing/faces H1 and I2I of thestationary valve seating memberl I6 and the movable valve member I20 mayeach be provided with a self-aligned ring such as I34 and I35. Theserings register wvithand are adapted'to hear one upon the other and areso mounted as to ensure perfect parallelismin the homogenizing gap. Theymay be movably assembled so that they can be renewed if and whendesired.

Any suitable means may be provided for effecting the rotary adjustmentof the sleeve I30 and .at least'one grub screw I 36 or the like may beprovided for securing said sleeve in the adjusting position.

The .remaining details of the valve or crusher head shown in Fig. 2aresimilar to those of that showninFig. 1 and therefore need no furtherdescription.

-In the modified construction shown in Fig. 3, in the main only thoseparts of the valve or crusher head which differ substantially from thoseof the heads shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are illustrated. .As before there isa stationary valve .memberQ2I6 and amovable valve member 220 havinghardened and ground end facesZI'I and .221 .arrangedto be located inclose proximity; the movable valve member 220 is provided with a flutedperiphery and the axially-extending flutes .orgrooves220 provide apassage of the material to betreatedto the exit 240. In thisconstruction thesurround or guide for the movable valve member j220.isconstituted by the interior surface o'fthe housingZId of the apparatus.Furthermorethe fixed valvemember 2I6 is received directly ina suitablebore in the walls of the fluid chamber I0 and it is provided withaportion which spigots inthe aforesaid bore of the casing 214.

Apparatus constructed in accordance with'the present invention permitsof accurate registering or alignment of the valve members and providesunder all conditions anabsolutely parallel homogenizinggap. Also thepossibility of flutter at the .gap faces with consequent irregular fluidemission genization.

I claim:

1. A homogenizing valve or crusher head of the kind referred to, havingvalve members formed with co-operating and opposed end faces betweenwhich the material to be treated is forced, and a surround encirclingone of said members and positioning it in relation to the other one,which surround is perforated with apertures registering with said faces.

2. A valve or head according to claim 1, having a sleeve encircling saidsurround, which sleeve is perforated with apertures and is adjustable tovary the degree of register of the two sets of apertures.

3. A homogenizing valve or crusher head of the kind referred to, havingvalve members formed with co-operating and opposed end faces betweenwhich the material to be treated is forced, one of which members is oftruncated conical formation, and a conical socket associated with theother member and receiving the conical member which socket is providedwith apertures registering with said co-operating faces.

4. A homogenizing valve or crusher head of the kind referred to, havingopposed valve members formed with co-operating end faces arranged toprovide a minute gap between them for the passage of the material to betreated, one of which members is of conical form, and a perforatedconical socket, in which conical socket the conical member is closelyreceived and thereby positioned.

5. A homogenizing valve or crusher head of the kind referred to, havingopposed valve members formed with substantially fiat co-operatinghomogenizing faces arranged to provide a minute gap between them for thepassage of the material to be treated, one of which members is conical,a conical thin-walled socket for receiving and positioning said conicalmember in relation to the other member, and means for adjusting saidmembers towards and away from one another.

6. A homogenizing valve or crusher head of the kind referred to, havingopposed valve members formed with co-operating and opposed end facesarranged to provide a minute gap between them for the passage of thematerial to be treated, one of which members is conical, and a conicalthin-walled extension projecting beyond said end face of the othermember to receive closely and to position the conical valve member,which extension has perforations in its walls registering with theminute gap.

'7. A homogenizing valve or crusher head of the kind referred to,comprising a casing, two removable valve members positioned thereinhaving opposed cooperating end faces in close proximity to provide aminute homogenizing gap between them, one of which valve members is oftruncated conical form, a seating in which the other valve member issecured, a conical thinwalled sleeve projecting from said seating beyondthe gap and closely receiving the truncated conical member, a conduitleading through the first member to the centre of the co-operating endfaces, apertures in the sleeve registering with the gap, and means foradjusting the conical valve member towards and away from the other valvemember.

8. A homogenizing valve or crusher head, comprising a casing, two valvemembers, each providing a valving surface, positioned in said casing toprovide a minute homogenizing gap between said valving surfaces underworking conditions, a conduit leading to and a conduit leading from saidgap, which conduits communicate one with the other by Way of thehomogenizing gap, one of which valve members is provided with a conicallocating surface other than its valving surface, a

thin-walled locating funnel rigidly associated with the other valvemember and provided with a conical locating surface closely engaging thefirst said conical locating surface, and loading means for urging the.two said conical surfaces into tight engagement and for urging thevalving surfaces toward one another.

9. In a homogenizing valve or crusher head, a pair of valve membershaving opposed valving surfaces in proximity one to the other betweenwhich the matter to be treated may be forced at high pressure, one ofsaid valve members having a tapered positioning surface other than itssaid valving surface; and a thin-walled positioning member mountedadjacent said valve members, having a tapered surface complemental toand intimately engageable by said first mentioned tapered surface toposition the movable valve member relative to its companion member.

10. In a homogenizing valve or crusher head, co-operating valve membersformed with opposed slightly spaced valve faces between which thematerial to be treated is forced, one of said members being movablerelative to the other and provided with a tapered locating surface,other than its valve face; a thin-walled funnel-shaped locating memberrigidly mounted adjacent said valve members, provided with a locatingsurface complemental to said tapered locating surface of said valvemember; and means for urging said movable valve member toward itscompanion member, whereby its tapered locating surface is brought intointimate engagement with the complemental surface of said funnel-shapedmember.

REGINALD GRETTON LOWE.

